look like a dream from the Arabian Nights,
and I liked it."

She laughed, and, in spite of himself, Porter laughed with her.

"I wore it to the dance, and it was there that I met Colin Quale. I
wish I could make you see the scene--the great ballroom, and all the
other women staring at me as I came in--and the men, smiling.

"I was in my element. I thought, in those days, that the test of charm
was to hold the eyes of the multitude. To-day I know that it is to
hold the eyes of the elect, and it is Colin who has taught me.

"I had danced with a dozen other men when he came up to claim me. I
scarcely remembered that I had promised him a dance. When he was
presented to me I had only been aware of a pale little man with
eye-glasses and nervous hands who had stared at me rather too steadily.

"We danced in silence for several minutes and he danced divinely.

"He stopped suddenly. 'Let's get out of here,' he said. 'I want to
talk to you.'

"I looked at him in amazement. 'But I want to dance.'

"'You can always dance,' he said, quietly, 'but you cannot always talk
to me.'

"There was nothing in his manner to indicate the preliminaries of a
flirtation. He was perfectly serious and he evidently thought that he
was offering me a privilege. Curiosity made me follow him, and he led
the way down the hall to a secluded reception room where there was a
long mirror, a little table, and a big bunch of old-fashioned roses in
a bowl.

"On our way we passed a row of chairs, where some one had left a wrap
and a scarf. Colin snatched up the scarf--it was a long wide one of
white chiffon. The next morning I returned it to him, and he found the
owner. I am not sure what explanation he made for his theft, but it
was undoubtedly attributed to the eccentricities of genius!

"Well, when, as I said, we reached the little room, he pulled a chair
forward for me, so that I sat directly in front of the mirror.

"I remember that I surveyed myself complacently. To my deluded eyes,
my appearance could not be improved. My head, swathed in its golden
coif, seemed to give the final perfect touch."

She laughed again at the memory, and Porter found himself immensely
amused. She had such a cool way of turning her mental processes inside
out and holding them up for others to see.

"As I sat there, stealing glances at myself, I became conscious that my
little blond man was studying me. Other men had looked at me, but
never with